Wednesday, January 5, 2011

The Girl in the Gatehouse by Julie Klassen

Julie says: My background is in advertising and marketing, but I am blessed with a dream job—working as an editor of Christian fiction. I have been writing since childhood, but Lady of Milkweed Manor was my first novel. It was a finalist for a Christy Award and won second place in the Inspirational Reader's Choice Awards. My second novel, The Apothecary's Daughter, was a finalist in the ACFW Book of the Year awards. I am currently writing one novel a year.

I graduated from the University of Illinois and enjoy travel, research, BBC period dramas, long hikes, short naps, and coffee with friends.

My husband and I have two sons and live near St. Paul, Minnesota.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Miss Mariah Aubrey, banished after a scandal, hides herself away in a long-abandoned gatehouse on the far edge of a distant relative's estate. There, she supports herself and her loyal servant the only way she knows how--by writing novels in secret.

Captain Matthew Bryant, returning to England successful and wealthy after the Napoleonic wars, leases an impressive estate from a cash-poor nobleman, determined to show the society beauty who once rejected him what a colossal mistake she made.

When he discovers an old gatehouse on the property, he is immediately intrigued by its striking young inhabitant and sets out to uncover her identity, and her past. But the more he learns about her, the more he realizes he must distance himself. Falling in love with an outcast would ruin his well-laid plans. The old gatehouse holds secrets of its own. Can Mariah and Captain Bryant uncover them before the cunning heir to the estate buries them forever?

The Girl in the Gatehouse is the perfect book for this time of year.It is perfect for those cold, wintry days when staying indoors curled up with a good book is a pleasing option.When I first started reading this book, I found it a little slow and actually started to lose my patience at one point before I told myself to relax and just savor this story.Once I decided to do that, I really got into this story and found myself loving it.I ended up loving the pace of the story and all the different facets that made it interesting and relaxing.The Girl in the Gatehouse has plenty to appeal to a wide range of readers.It has romance, mystery, plenty of thrills, and of course, Jane Austen fans will love it.

The Girl in the Gatehouse is definitely not a book to rush through.It should be savored and enjoyed, which is exactly what I did, eventually.Julie has a charming way of writing that I fell in love with when I read The Apothecary’s Daughter and I have continued to enjoy her writing.After an uncertain start, I ended up loving this book before long and by the end I was completely satisfied with the experience.I highly recommend this charming and delightful book by a terrific author.